Safeguarding State Elections: Strategies for Election Integrity and Voter ID Laws

Election Integrity and Voter Registration

• 💡 Fair and safe elections are a uniform goal, with consensus on the objective but potential disagreement on methods.
• ⚠️ The SAVE Act requires states to verify citizenship before voter registration and remove non-citizens from voter rolls, addressing fears fueled by instances like allowing non-citizens to vote in Washington D.C. and New York.

Voter Identification Requirements

• 🔑 Ohio requires voters to present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or state ID, to verify identity at the polls.
• 🤝 Ohio provides a free ID for those who need one and offers a religious exemption for individuals unable to be photographed, with state IDs indicating citizenship status.
• ⚖️ There was a legal challenge in Ohio to prevent the use of IDs that indicated a voter was a non-citizen.

Mail-in Ballots and Ballot Harvesting

• 📬 Ohio has outlawed the pre-population of mail-in ballot forms by third-party organizations to prevent inaccurate information.
• 🗳️ Strict rules govern the use of secure dropboxes, with only the voter permitted to return their own ballot.
• 🤝 When returning a ballot for another person (e.g., a family member or disabled individual), individuals must present an ID and sign an affidavit designating them to return the ballot.

Non-Citizens and Voter Rolls

• 🚗 Louisiana's governor directed the DMV to share information on non-citizens holding driver's licenses to audit voter rolls for non-citizen registration.
• 🔍 Access to the SAVE database is sought to further identify non-citizens who may be improperly registered.

Student IDs and Voter ID Laws

• 🎓 Idaho updated its voter ID requirements, removing college student identification cards from the approved list for voter registration, but this did not significantly impact turnout.
• 📊 In the last election, 98.1% of Idaho voters used an Idaho driver's license or ID card, and students who drive typically use driver's licenses.